What's Junk? (The Mech Touch)

[Simonbob]

A one mech haunted graveyard?

That's pretty cool. Useful, too.


On a seperate note? I'm in awe, @lost star. The sheer amount you've been writing is pretty insane.

 

[Canadian Leprechaun]

So question: Given that Cerberus with 2 of the heads being missile launchers worked thematically for the spirit and that the Zombies are designed to be fully functional without a head, Is there a reason why they haven't replaced the Zombies head's with a head shaped missile launcher? Seems like a cheap way to up the damage.

 

[lost star]

So question: Given that Cerberus with 2 of the heads being missile launchers worked thematically for the spirit and that the Zombies are designed to be fully functional without a head, Is there a reason why they haven't replaced the Zombies head's with a head shaped missile launcher? Seems like a cheap way to up the damage.

Click to shrink...

Twould require a complete redesign and likely the removal of some armor. Head trick aside, the main use of the Zombie is that it's a decent and cheap newbie shield mech. The head is best likened to a one time grenade more than anything else.

 

[lost star]

What did it mean to lose a planet? It was something that boggled the mind to contemplate. The average person could not really understand the impact. Lilly herself couldn't really get her mind around it. She didn't much care to either. Sometimes it was best not to think too hard about things.

The refugees probably had similar minds. They'd left a planet. It was easier to think that was what happened. They hadn't left a mass graveyard. They'd left a planet. She could see it in every line of their body. Tired minds, exhausted spirits, and shattered wills. No one wanted to contemplate what had happened. Only a few were really standing without qualms. They were mostly the ones with family still. Those groups were just grief stricken, not nearly broken messes.

Credit to Kriff, he'd done well with saving families. She could tell just based on how they looked at him as he exited first that he'd performed miracles. She could also tell that only discipline and honor kept him up, though your standard person wouldn't be able to figure that out just looking at him.

The man had somehow gotten a clean and pressed uniform from somewhere before landing. His hair was done up in a neatly shaved mohawk that seemed to be the most common style of the refugees. The combination would have been called Space Punk or something in another time period. Here it was just the last bit of his nation's sense of fashion combined with stark military discipline. It was a statement and probably the last bit of defiance the man had left.

"Venerable Lilly." The man offered a hand as he approached.

"General Kriff." Lilly took and and took a few moments to really read him to the best of her ability. "Yer not broken." She stated bluntly. "Yer closer to it than I'd like."

The man didn't tremble. He didn't wince. He gave a small nod. "I appreciate your evaluation of my mental health, but I'd request you mind your fucking business."

He obviously didn't mean anything rude with the words. The crude vulgarity was a local peculiarity that would likely disappear with their nation. Lilly had reviewed some of their history, and that was one of their quirks. Crude, rude, and defiant had been their trademarks. All of it was gone.

"Will do so, if ya can put yer people in the line o' fire and keep it together without me poking." Lilly nodded carefully towards the pilots unloading from the transports next.

"If we wanted to stay out of combat or get vengeance, we would have stayed with Master Jeanne. She offered." Kriff responded and shifted to a parade rest to better present himself to the people offloading. "She's obviously playing a small political game of sorts in arranging this, but whatever it is seems relatively selfless compared to the other games that happened before the end. This was one choice of many that we accepted of free will."

"Dunno what it here. Can't read people that well through video, and I haven't even exchanged letters with her anyway. That's all been Bolt and he's honest to a fault." Lilly contributed and gave a small wave to a few children. "We can discuss more later. I think yer being honest at least. Any pilots I should worry about?"

"At the moment no. See how they do once the mechs are assigned. You should have the numbers and who has Heart Crystals. Been interesting to see how much the men cling to them. More than a few good men passed on their Crystals as a last will. It's helped more than I expected." Kriff saluted to a few injured men as they began to walk out.

Pup chose this time to run up, and immediately began to almost herd the injured men into a few powered wheel-chairs he'd grabbed. Lilly very deliberately did not do what she wanted to do there. She just watched and breathed out an irritated breath through her nose.

"Told the boy to come here and just look pretty." She grumbled. "I barely do PR and I know that much."

"He is very young and eager." Kriff observed with artful neutrality. "It's not harmful thankfully. If anything it shows surprising humanity. Experts that young tend to be focused to a point where they aren't always relatable. I did not expect someone so personable. You included. I was anticipating some sort of declarative independence based off your profile."

"Would you mind explaining that please?" Lilly asked leadingly.

"The founding principle that happens when an expert breaks through paints everything they do afterwards under that lens. They channel willpower and everything is done because they say so. I've seen many experts in my time. The ones focused on duty are pure duty. You ascended fighting against others for independence so you should have hints of it even here. Yet here we are just talking." Kriff wasn't watching Lilly directly as he spoke, but the woman could tell he was trying to probe her with his words and was observing her closely.

Lilly carefully examined herself. She could see what he meant in a way. Her ascension had been a bit strange, not that she'd tell anyone that. She'd held tight to all of herself out greed and desire. Her core founding was not rebellion or independence. It wasn't even greed. It was simply choice. She had chosen when and where. Free Will was perhaps the best description of it, though she'd never actually voice it.

Just focusing on that was enough to make people stand up a bit straighter around her though. Lilly smiled slightly as Pup continued to help. "I choose my own path. If that means following your lead, that's me still."

"Dangerous." Kriff said simply. "I can work with that. And Pup?"

"He's a little guard dog." Lilly teased with a soft smile.

Mostly. Lilly wasn't going to say that the spirit they'd put in his mech had likely helped significantly. Pup was young, weak, and required a lot of training for an expert. He wasn't flawed though. Lilly's instincts screamed that he had potential to become something grand.

Mid movement Pup paused and tilted his head and looked in a particular direction. Lilly's gaze immediately shifted before she even thought. Her body moved and tapped at an alert in her pocket. Pup moved towards the problem, on instinct, then on recognition.

One of the men exiting the shuttle had looked strange. Lilly didn't get why consciously. Neither did Pup. Their instincts said just said something was bad. The security team didn't bother to ask questions. Neither did the Fu-dog that had stationed itself at the side. They both moved in concert towards the shifting man, and he was brought down before anyone had a chance to register anything.

A few seconds later the medics were being called as the man was hefted into a carry and pulled to a stretcher. The next few minutes were a bit of a blur of activity as field tested and battle hardened medical professionals took charge. The man was carted off and out of sight shortly thereafter.

Kriff watched it was an exhausted expression. "Status?" He asked.

"Exhaustion, trauma, and possible heart attack." One of the medics said. "The medical facilities are not in use?" He asked Lilly.

"Some are, but we haven't had the numbers or the expertise to use it all." Lilly answered back as she looked over the other shellshocked refugees. "Our 'Olympus' is really enough to be a small city if we ever get the people fer it. That includes two fully supplied hospital areas and room fer more if need be."

"Read that in the briefing. Still fucking amazing." Kriff muttered. "All for one mech?"

"MTA loves something they call masterworks." Lilly answered back with a shrug. "If anything I think they might have underpaid. From what my hubby says one Third Rate one is worth thousands of MTA credits, and you know the conversion ratio."

"Considering the expenses, they might have but..." Kriff turned to stare at the looming mountain nearby. "Well, the immediate reward is sometimes more valuable than some nebulous future."

"Well let's get you all in there for the immediate reward then." Lilly countered and grinned just a bit widely at everyone still watching. "Come on, food and drink inside! Fresh beds, secured homes! Tomorrow will be another struggle, but today you all rest!" She put her will into it, and the people responded every so slightly.

It was enough for now.

 

[Simonbob]

From what my hubby says one Third Rate one is worth thousands of MTA credits, and you know the conversion ratio."

Click to shrink...

one MTA one is worth thousands of Third Rate credits.


I see the group focused sensor Expert is like that out of the mech, as well.

It's really a cultivation step, isn't it?

 

[lost star]

Experts get intuition out of the mech and a few minor things. Nothing like real cultivation bonuses though. Their intuition is top notch though, and aligned along what they broke through under. Pup is protecting his people. Lilly is what people want.

 

[AmeriaOlacyne]

one MTA one is worth thousands of Third Rate credits.

Click to shrink...

No, the original one is right, they're not talking about credit to credit conversion, but Masterwork Mech to MTA credit conversion. But it might be better to delete or swap that second 'one', like:
"one Third Rate is worth thousands of MTA credits"
or
"one Third Rate Masterwork is worth thousands of MTA credits"

 

[Simonbob]

No, the original one is right, they're not talking about credit to credit conversion, but Masterwork Mech to MTA credit conversion. But it might be better to delete or swap that second 'one', like:
"one Third Rate is worth thousands of MTA credits"
or
"one Third Rate Masterwork is worth thousands of MTA credits"

Click to shrink...

That would make sense, but it wasn't quite clear, until I went back to re-read it.

 

[lost star]

The main command room was actually one of the rooms that had been used before. It hadn't been used well, but it had been used. Kriff's support staff had already activated more than a few terminals and were speaking with the Wrench Rat techs to get things arranged and customized. The main point of interest was a large holographic representation of the planet that was currently zoomed in on their home.

"Still can't believe Olympus stuck as the official name." Bolt muttered to Lilly, who giggled.

"It's what happens when you don't bother officially naming something. Someone decides that a funny name fits and you're stuck with it." The expert whispered back.

Kriff looked a lot better as he surveyed the map and what looked to be a force composition list. He seemed to have shaved years off his age, and his already neat mohawk had been turned crisp. The uniform was different as well. It was a brown one with a small wrench on the breast. Nothing else yet, but it, along with the gas mask on his hip emphasized a new allegiance. It was a transparently obvious statement, but still appreciated.

"So, numerically we're hosed." The general began once people had settled down around the hologram. "Mech wise, we can field a little over two thousand at present time. More pilots will come with time, but we don't have that. Our allies in the space clans are reporting several unidentified fleets within jump distance. We have to assume upwards around five thousand mechs landing in the first wave, with more in subsequent waves."

"They won't have experts." Lilly offered to the room at large. "Got some calls from guys watching fer em. We might get some later, but the first wave is all the real cowards who were already heading out."

"As Venerable Lilly said." Kriff gave her a nod. "Now, historically this isn't new for this planet I understand?"

"Ain't the first time, likely won't be the last." Bolt's father said. "Even the number ain't new. My paw talked about how there were something like a million mechs fighting round here in his day. The number might o' been exaggerated, but we did have all three throwing armies at the place. Ya can still see piles of parts in a few areas."

The general looked a bit incredulous about that but nodded all the same. "We're likely going to get something similar here over time. The only blessing as that the shitters won't be coordinated. We'll get a big group hitting us with scattered opportunist doing their own thing. The allied mercenary groups have taken our advice and are currently bunkering down. They'll be playing hammer to our anvil when they see openings. Projection wise they'll make enough profit from counter raiding to be happy about the arrangement."

"Also sent the word out to other clans to bunker down." Bolt's mother said. "Bit o' a shame to go back into the ratholes, but we're in a better situation than last time."

"Tactically we have a better forecast than the numbers will tell you. This mountain is a fortress that will require dedicated effort to crack. The mech designs we're going to be using should be stronger defensively as well. The fog generation alone will prevent or destroy the casual probes. Our largest challenge isn't winning one battle. It's that our defense has to hold for years. This will not stop until the Sand War ends, or one of the shielding nations drop. The planet is both on a prime evacuation point and a high value target." Kriff outlined the issue.

There was a few moments of silence as the general got some water and took a drink. Everyone attending the briefing nodded along. This was all pretty well known, but it didn't hurt to go over it again.

"Now, our general plan is very simple. Experts are on semi-standby. They're our ace and need to be at full power for when needed. Pup when he's sent out should be able to make us win anything from two to three to one odds. Lilly will be our expert and elite counter. We have the mist generators on full blast, with Cerberus and Drowned Man on regular patrols. A handful of Undertakers will act as coordinators. When the enemy masses, we'll have the ghouls deploy to harass." Kriff highlighted a few areas and indicated numbers on the map as he spoke. "We can't clear out the planet, but we can make a no-mans land around us. Manpower and endurance will be tight, but if we're careful with shifts we can maintain this indefinately."

"We ain't alone either. The spacer clans will be less pressured and are still willing to help. The station we have in orbit will be directly above us and a hard enough target that they'll want to avoid it." Lilly contributed again. "We're all pretty confident that it'll be left alone anyway. It ain't like we got the orbit completely secure. They'll land all around the planet and will be attacking targets of opportunity when they can."

"Third Rate mech design helps us there. All space mechs are in the sand war. The governments aren't shy at outright confiscating them, and no one with sense is going to parade around with space capable mechs nearby a front. Cowardice is one thing. Having weapons that could be useful will get some sort of response." Kriff added.

"So, space is good. Ground is less good?" Bolt tried to clarify.

"Close to it." The general looked at the map. "This is less than I'm used to working with, but we have an extremely good base, and the mercenary companies are surprisingly friendly."

"Been encouraging them to set down a few roots and the business deals haven't hurt." Bolt's mother said with a small grin.

"Should I be focusing on new designs or refining?" Bolt asked the relevant question for himself.

"Tough question. Your work is good and unusual enough that a surprise would be welcome, but at the same time new mechs take time to train in." Kriff responded carefully as he continued to examine the map and shift people around. "If you get very inspired a prototype isn't out of the question. Otherwise focus on refining and countering. You're not used to working in a wartime environment as a designer. Assume that the enemy is trying to identify weak points in all your mechs, and ours are publicly listed."

"Our in house designs are a bit varied from the public stuff, but I get the point." Bolt acknowledged with a nod.

"Not looking forward to the on call thing for years." Lilly muttered.

Kriff looked displeased as well. "I dislike it myself, but we're very limited on manpower. My hope is that we can let you rest frquently. Though I do have to ask, what was that note about simulations? I was hoping to get the men I brought through them."

"Ah." Lilly gave Bolt a glance and he shrugged. "Call it an in house secret? Have the guys claim a Heart Crystal if they don't have one and pilot a few times in real life before getting into the sims. More than that you'd have ta ask Bolt."

"There's some things that border on MTA secrets that I work with." Bolt tried to choose his words very carefully. "The sims are perfectly legitimate, but people might notice they look better than normal stuff. Just leave it at that and don't pry further please. If you have issues let me know of course, but it's rather hush hush. Expect things to change a bit in them and feedback is very appreciated."

Mentioning the MTA was probably a bad idea. Kriff had been a general. He'd been privy to more than a few classified briefings. He could connect dots when he needed to. Bolt could see him doing so now. Credit to him, he knew how to keep his mouth shut. The older man just nodded once he reached whatever internal conclusion he had made.

"I'll spread word that the sims are custom built and we'll leave it at that." He said before continuing. "Thank you for making them available. Good simulations are worth a substantial amount of money."

"Believe it or not it helps me too. They're er experimental." Bolt stumbled slightly in the description. They were! He just had no idea what the experiment was!

The rest of the briefing was more mundane. Numbers, positioning, force composition and the like. All of it preperation for a long battle.

Outside, stars began to fall as transports fell to the ground with barely any care and less skill. The first wave of bandits had already started to appear. They would not be the last.

---

End of Arc.

Spoiler: Mechs Built

Variant name: Monster Hunter
Base model: Monster Hunter

Weight Classification: Heavy
Recommended Role: Front Line
Armor: A
Carrying Capacity: D
Aesthetics: B+
Endurance: C+
Energy Efficiency: B
Flexibility: D-
Firepower: A
Integrity: B
Mobility: D
Spotting: D
X-Factor: D (Weapon is A)

Overall Evaluation: A one off mech designed to hunt mech-sized animals. The focus of the entire mech is to support the custom weapon. Unifying three separate designer specialties, the Void Hammer is one of the most deadly melee weapons possible at the tech level the mech was restricted to. The weapon's danger is such that the mech had to have significant reinforcement to use it without damaging itself. Unfortunately the unique conditions required to make the weapon render it unsuitable for mass productions or for anything more than a showpiece.


Variant name: Last Prayer
Base model: Last Prayer

Weight Classification: Light
Recommended Role: Rear Line Marksman
Armor: E
Carrying Capacity: D
Aesthetics: B
Endurance: C+
Energy Efficiency: C+
Flexibility: D-
Firepower: A
Integrity: C
Mobility: B (D- when charging.)
Spotting: D
X-Factor: Variable

Overall Evaluation: A specialized mech designed solely around the railgun-adjacent mechanism that is its weapon. This extreme focus makes the mech an almost textbook glass cannon. Were it in any other role than a marksman, this would categorize it as a failure. As is, the ability to load a variety of ammo and the affordable cost makes it an extremely useful add-on mech that can be used outside its intended role against the aliens called Sandmen.

The X-Factor and design have been specifically calibrated to be manufactured in extremely low tech and suboptimal conditions. This is a mech designed for the desperate praying for salvation and will try to answer it to the best of its ability. Should the prayers be fervent enough, perhaps a miracle will happen.


Variant name: Wounded Angel
Base model: Wounded Angel

Weight Classification: Medium
Recommended Role: Rifleman
Armor: C+
Carrying Capacity: C+
Aesthetics: B+
Endurance: C+
Energy Efficiency: C+
Flexibility: A
Firepower: C+
Integrity: C+
Mobility: C+
Spotting: C+
X-Factor: A

Overall Evaluation: A veteran warrior in the shape of a mech. This mech's unique physical feature is a shield in the shape of a wing that can temporarily provide cover and defense against extreme damage. While not particularly notable in any realm, it's overall performance leaves it with no extreme weaknesses either. This makes it a useful addition to almost any force, which is near ideal for a standard Rifleman. Where it less expensive and released in another time it would have been a solid seller. As is, the timeframe it was released made it's success relatively anemic.

The X-Factor is unique and the first consistent 'success' of the designer. Taking the memories of a veteran fighters, it provides stability and skill to the pilot that will grow over time. A pilot will find themselves unnaturally steady and calm using this the first time, and should the Crystal Heart be passed down, the memories will linger for those who inherit the Heart.



Variant name: Shining Shrine Maiden V2
Base model: Shining Shrine Maiden

Weight Classification: Light
Recommended Role: Light Artillery
Armor: D-
Carrying Capacity: D
Aesthetics: A+
Endurance: D-
Energy Efficiency: C
Flexibility: C
Firepower: A+
Integrity: C
Mobility: B-
Spotting: B
X-Factor: A

Overall Evaluation: A revised artillery mech. The unusual design choices remain, but the weapon and drones have been refined. The X-Factor increases damage and can burn enemies the pilot considers unholy. Due to design and cultural choices it also functions as a point of worship and gains in power and energy over time. This slightly boosts and aids the pilot, assuming they are of the appropriate religion the mech was built around.


Special
Part Evaluation: Heart System

Overall Evaluation: A novel method of retaining x-factor energy in a compact crystalline and transferrable form. This part system was designed from the ground up to allow for power and potentially more to be retained if the mech body is destroyed. This theoretically makes it possible for mechs to gain energy over time even if they are scrapped routinely, provided they all maintain the Heart System.

It is another path completely separate from spirit empowerment and has its own costs and benefits. It gives slower immediate gains, and the Crystal Heart can be damaged or destroyed through physical means, but it is a tool that can allow the individual user to lay the foundations for future generations. The creation of and propagation of this system has the potential to completely change mech-design and progression by making several fields opaque to humans accessible through conventional physical tools and computer analysis.


Variant name: Cu Sith
Base model: Cu Sith

Weight Classification: Medium
Recommended Role: Expert Small Unit Coordinator and Skirmisher
Armor: C+
Carrying Capacity: C
Aesthetics: A
Endurance: C-
Energy Efficiency: C-
Flexibility: B
Firepower: C+
Integrity: B
Mobility: B-
Spotting: S
X-Factor: A

Overall Evaluation: A mech designed to hunt with a pack. The unique X-factor combined with dedicated focus makes it an unparalleled spotter and director at the cost of being rather weak in a solo setting, which is considered a more than acceptable trade off. Physically the mech's design is focused on avoidance and disengagement than offensive ability. The deliberate choice is appropriate considering that it will be the priority target the second its abilities are known. Taken together, this is a mech that will turn the tide in all battles, assuming it survives.

 

[Simonbob]

You know things are bad when invading a rat hole looks like a good place to hide.

 

[Golgotha]

I am very keen for the next arc. Let the seige begin... the ghouls hunger for new mechs.

 

[Rustic]

Author you ever been on a cruise ship. Seen the ship gardens. I bet the rats could easily do something like that throughout the base.

 

[lost star]

He'd had a name once. It had been a killer name too. It was just hard to remember nowadays. A lot of things were hard to remember truthfully. He recalled smiles, drinks, and laughter. Standing on the line with friends. It was just difficult to think of more than that. Most of his head was in a fog and the once vivid recollections had long since grown dull. He barely remembered the time of day nowadays, and that was ok with him.

"Annnd he's crashing again." The voice was nearby, but to him it felt like miles away.

"You know the drill. Stick him and then throw him in the cockpit." Another voice said.

The nameless man didn't react as he was lifted up, or something pressed into his side. He flopped into the cockpit and then pulled on the nero-helmet by rote. After a few seconds the fog started to clear. What replaced it wasn't an improvement, though he'd harshly disagree with the sentiment. It was a vibrating and building buzz that drowned out thoughts of past in favor of present.

Uppers for piloting were not encouraged in normal circumstances. Any sort of chemical enhancement tended to cause interference with the connection. The man wouldn't have called himself the best pilot in the first place, so further hinderance didn't really do much damage. The drugs starting to wake him up meant he could do his job. At least that was what he told himself in his more lucid moments.

He was front line fodder. An addict worth about as much as his shitty mech. The only redeeming feature he had was the fact that he was usually too high to feel fear when he got going. He'd march right to his death if it got him another hit.

So he had his mech walk into the fog on orders without a single question or thought when the battle began. They were simple orders by necessity. Walk in and shoot forward. He could do that. As high as he was the mech jittered and stopped at random points, but he was in a shitty front-line monstrosity that was almost as functional as him. The people behind him barely cared about how well he was doing. He certainly didn't.

Nor did he care when the radio cut out and spooky whispers began to play through it. To the man it was more like a bad trip than anything else. He fiddled with the volume, then switched channels, then he shut it off completely. To his mild bemusement that didn't stop the spooky, it just made it less loud.

"Wow, this is a trip." The man muttered to himself as the pleasant buzz started to accelerate and he felt the jitters starting to come in. He bounced and shifted as much as possible to burn off some of the increasing energy.

The erratic movement of his mech actually ended up saving his life. He couldn't see the enemy that approached. No one else could either. The hook missed him and ended up hitting a nearby 'ally.' They were dragged down and out of sight before anyone could react. Thanks to the jamming he couldn't even hear the screams. His reaction was far more muted. He blinked a few times and double checked his sensors. They were shitty enough that they weren't picking up anything. This was certainly a trip.

"Switch to audio!" Someone called out.

"Isn't that-gaahh!" Another mech shouted as a laser blasted into his chest. Another one followed up and destroyed his internals.

"Shit, just keep going forward. They can't stop us all! When you hit the mountain start digging!" The orders came through.

As simple as they were, they were impossible to fulfil. No one could see anything through the fog, and it was getting thicker by the minute. Sensors were throwing false readings, even the good ones. The man was so high he didn't much care, but he even he figured about half what the sensor mech was saying was wrong. Even high as a kite he could tell they weren't that surrounded.

"We-ah, did bring the good sensor mech right?" The man felt compelled to ask as he casually fired in a general direction. (Completely missing everything.)

"We did! It should be enough to get through the normal stuff. They must have added something!"

The howl that came next chilled his bones. Even through the drugs. He jerked on the controls and fired more wild shots before he controlled himself enough to direct it at where the sensor mech said the enemy was. Part of why he was still around was because he wasn't completely useless in the cockpit. Just mostly useless. He sent down a few more rounds before the thing clicked on empty. The man clicked the firing mechanism a few more times just to be sure.

Then the heavy came in and he did the other thing he was good at, getting out of the way. It was a massive looming thing, twice his weight. The axes both glowed and looked absolutely horrific. Not something he wanted to get anywhere near him. The mech could probably drop one of the weapons on his ride and kill it.

A few shots pinged off the armor before the massive mech's boosters blared with fire. The man watched and then winced. Even through the drugs he could tell that wasn't good. This wasn't a battle, it was a slaughter. The heavy wasn't even trying. Sure some of the shots did damage to the armor but that didn't stop it from bisecting one of the mechs from the top down and he was sure that little dent could be buffed out in a few minutes.

He was so occupied in avoiding the heavy mech that he didn't notice the other one until it hit him. The man had a brief moment to boggle at being hit by a coffin of all things before it struck his mech again and brought it down. He didn't even get a chance to fire back! Then he remembered that he was out of ammo. The techs had probably skimped on filling his mech up again.

Laying on the ground wasn't so bad though. The pleasant buzz was starting to spread, so the man felt like he could stay there for a few hours without trouble. He probably should hit the emergency escape at some point. He wasn't really concerned though. The uppers were starting to really mellow out into something nice. His position did have one small problem. It gave him a great view of the heavy lifting up a cross in its hands and then ramming it down into his mech's reactor.

The mutilation felt a bit confusing at first. Then the whispers got really loud through the speakers. The man stared at it and fiddled with the off switch. This had all the makings of a really, really bad trip now. He either opened up the cockpit and got out into the cold mist and mud, or stayed really toasty and dealt with the loud creepy whispers.

Decisions, decisions... The man rooted through is emergency stash. He had another hit of something somewhere.

After-action thoughts, Kriff.

Defensively, unorganized masses are no issue for our forces. The combination of mechs have a surprisingly potent synergistic effect that breaks morale. In truth I doubt that even disciplined fighters could fight in the fog for long without being forced to retreat. The enhanced jamming effects from the Undertakers and Drowned Men are both synergistic and haunting. Combine this some deliberate terror tactics and you have a defensive formation that I'd have hesitated to assault even with my former forces. Bolt's creations have the trademark signs of a new mech designer eager to stand out, but that hides a very deadly specialty that I'm sure he's just beginning to flex.

The readiness is going to to be the problem moving forward though. This is both expected and frustrating. The forces I brought are recovering with remarkable speed, but the numbers we're seeing are at predicted levels. Keeping our defensive perimeter tight allows us to keep manpower costs manageable, yet every attack drains a bit more of our stamina and cedes initiative. After conversing with Venerable Lilly, we're going to be throwing our skirmishers into some extreme training and then letting them loose. Some early raids will be both good for morale and lay the groundwork for an elite skirmishing unit. That will likely become pivotal going forward.

Venerable Lilly and Venerable Pup continue to be both useful and pleasant to work with. I fully understand Pup's name now. I still dislike the lack of respect the name implies, but he does very much resemble the mechs he pilots. Every deployment so far has absolutely destroyed all attackers for relatively little cost. He's probably the most valuable on a wide scale look. Lilly in contrast can be flat out terrifying on a more local area when she wishes. Her versatility gives extreme options even if the cost of maintaining two expert mechs for one person is inefficient. I can be confident that if I give her a goal she'll accomplish it with efficiency and little management, which is not common for dealing with experts. I've frequently run into the problem where I have too many places to deploy her rather than needing to keep her back for a special occasion. It's a good problem to have really.

I have many unfamiliar tools that will take time to get used to truthfully. The designer Bolt specifically will take a lot of time to evaluate. There are currents around him that I'm just beginning to see, and they're far larger than this little planet. Aside from that, things are promising. The current threats are currently very manageable. This will fucking change. The mechs landing on the planet are only increasing. It is one thing to hear of the issue and another to see it. Some days the sky is covered in fiery trails. It is insanity and gives me a greater appreciation for the natives. They see this as nothing new, and that's both horrifying and reassuring in equal measure.

On a different note, we're still unsure what to do with captured pilots. Some of the better and more coherent ones will likely be offered a place, but only after being vetted by Lilly. The rest will probably be shipped off to whichever nation wants to deal with them. They'll likely be thrown on the front lines in crappy mechs and told to survive. I have no sympathy for them if so. The crimes list for some of them is likely long and sickening.

 

[Simonbob]

So drugged up that being beaten doesn't really matter.


All the terror tactics running head long into a tweakers head, and finding not enough to affect it is kinda hilarious.

 

[Golgotha]

Overconfidence may become an actual thing for Bolt's forces.
A combination of exhaustion and picking off people day in day out. You would get used to it, exhausted by it... then get very caught off guard when a force of actual elites come in and don't lose their head to the mind games.

 

[Rustic]

Thoughts on I022

Okay that cool and all. It was a good chapter. However my focus was on something else were the mundane military.

mechs work for those who have that special something. Even if the quality is low. What are the mundane military units doing? I want to see spider tanks and meks that are non neural helmet compatible with like a pilot, a loader, a navigator, and a gunner. The authors briefly bought it up a few seperate times he was going to do something for the barely there guys. That were the guard dog mechs came from. He also once brought up the mundane units equipment. But never again

I think neural helmets is a battle tech thing and Gundams. But this universe has there own special juju that keeps the masses under the boot of the elite

 

[lost star]

Bolt was rapidly coming to realize that there was a difference between designing and designing for war. That wasn't to say his mechs weren't capable. They were. He'd just come to realize that there were mistakes made, and he could not easily fix them. The techs involved had free time measured in minutes, and it'd only get worse over time. Any adjustments he ordered would have to be done accounting for both speed and cost. It was restrictive. It was also brutally showing him what limits were.

Fortunately his focus on rugged design and affordability made the mistakes he made relatively tolerable and something they could manage. Most of the issues were in unintended weak points, stress points, and what happened when a mech was run for awhile. The latter was probably the only thing actually new as a problem for him. Most Junk Mechs he'd grown up on weren't going to last awhile without attention in the first place. Some mechs in this war were being run continuously for days on end. It was giving him a lot of data as to what mechs could take over time and the difference between being designed for repair and designed for longlevity.

It was also putting him in a strange circumstance where he both had too much work and not enough. There was a lot of statistical data to parse and changes to make, and yet both things needed to wait for the appropriate time. Combine that with the two designers helping him and Bolt actually had a fair bit of free time. He'd decided to occupy that with a small 'field test' of sorts for the up and coming students.

"Ya'll are here because you want to be designers." Bolt told the class of teenagers in front of him.

The truck they were in rocked slightly as he spoke. All of the kids looked a bit nervous. Some looked green. A few looked eager as well. Bolt kept an eye on them all. This lesson wasn't pass or fail. It was just a lesson about mechs. Sort of a guest lecture if he were to be honest.

"So, in other places you're taught and stay in fancy and air conditioned rooms. Some people ain't even see a hint of dirt for their entire life, and won't know a wrench from a hammer." The designer continued with a small hint of amusement. "You all aren't gonna get that. You're getting a Wrench Rat special."

With those words the back of the truck opened up with a clang and splat. Mist flowed in and Bolt made his way out. Behind him, the kids lingered a moment before following. Some of them knew this a bit from family outings or lifestyle before they came to the mountain. Most of them had been raised up in the mountain and kept safe. Bolt was thankful for that, but that meant this was even more important.

Out here the mud was thick and knee high. It sucked at the boots and made movement hell. Bolt had his good boots on, and had made damned sure everyone else had their work clothes as well. The brown robes and masks were vitally important now even if they were heavy and cumbersome.

"Everyone get your masks on. The robes will block shrapnel, mild radiation, and casual mech scans." The young man ordered. "Masks and gloves serve double duty. Some mech battles cause toxicity in the air, and some things you salvage are lethal when inhaled or touched improperly. Whenever your outside and doing this, masks on, robes on, and if you can use a few scans to be sure there's nothing that'll kill you."

He waited a moment while his orders were followed. Then he nodded. The masks were self-sealing and very tolerance proof, so if they were on the head they would function. He slapped a few heads to be sure the things were properly settled before he gestured to the target.

Right next to the truck was a downed mech. It steamed just a bit from the residual heat still in the chassis. Several holes were through it's torso, and one of the arms was twisted off. This was a freshly killed mech. Next to it was a flat-bed hauler designed for pulling in downed mechs of this weight. Heavier ones needed different vehicles, depending on circumstances. At their tech level there wasn't an all in one solution like there'd be at Second Rate.

"Your job as a class is going to be to recover this and repair it!" Bolt called out. "Tis a frontline mech so it's within your abilities. We'll have a few techs on standby to assist when it's back at the base." He put his hands in his pockets. "Of course, you'll want to hurry. This is an active warzone after all."

On cue a deep thrum reverberated in the air as a rifle went off nearby. All the students cringed and ducked. Bolt stayed put and glanced around carefully as he projected all the confidence and calm he could.

None of it was fake, though not for the most obvious reasons. This was technically a warzone, but he'd made sure that the area was cleared. The frontline mech had been brought here and downed artificially. A few mechs were patrolling and monitoring the enemy movements, and they were actually very close to the mountain. The mist just made it seem like they were deep and in danger. The patrolling mechs were also unidentifiable from a distance as well. It provided a proper atmosphere in Bolt's opinion. To the students, they were alone, isolated, surrounded by looming mechs, and being shot at. (The pilots were messing with the students lightly on Bolt's request.)

"Be sure not to have the chains in the joints. Attach them to the struts or skeleton if it's exposed!" Bolt called out as the students frantically and sloppily tried to do as requested. "Haste is good, but care is better. You can take your limbs off if you aren't careful. All this can kill if you are stupid!"

He wasn't joking. He had several safeties enabled here, and was watching like a hawk, but there was still a chance of death if the kids were stupid. Bolt had learned in worse himself. This was as safe as working with heavy machinery could get. They knew the hardware, they were just doing it in tense conditions. This lesson wasn't to teach them how to salvage. It was to put some pressure on them and show them what war did to mechs.

"Hands!" Bolt snapped and strode forward before pulling a student away from a pinch point. "Watch them. That would have lost it." He said.

Very slowly the mech was chained up. Bolt watched it all critically and then adjusted a few places before stepping back. He gestured for the other students to do so as well, and then the chains started hauling the mech onto the bed.

Bolt examined them all after it was finished. Covered in mud, tired from less than an hour's worth of work, tense, and flinching at the stomps in the background. Not the worst condition. Some were worse than others. He made a gesture to leave and led them back to the transport truck. A quick headcount made sure he had everyone and Bolt settled down at the entrance as the vehicle closed up and began to move back.

"So, ya'll might be asked to do this again if we need hands, but it's not gonna be required." The man said after everyone had removed their masks. "Bucket over there." He gestured as one of the green students began to heave. "We ain't grading you on this or the mech repair. It will never be a grade. It'll be a pass fail where passing is just living another day. What ya get outta it is up ta you. Personally I'd keep in mind that a wreck like that is the fate of all mechs. We dress it up pretty and put on fancy terms, but at the end of the day yer in the mud, face down and dead."

"That's really grim." One of the students finally said.

"Making mechs is acknowledging that yer making weapons." Bolt tapped on the metal of the vehicle. "Ya'll could make trucks all day. Make people happy getting a sweet ride. Mechs are different. They're beautiful things, but they're ugly too. Ya gotta remember that. Yin and Yang as some people would say."

"If you're not grading on the mech repair, what's the point?" Another student asked.

Bolt shrugged before replying. "Point is ta teach you something. It's also showing ya how to work with your hands. We ain't fancy designers from some high tech college. You'll learn what we can scrounge up and what ya can get from practical lessons like this. This is a lesson that ya can take a lot from. Some of you won't be suited for the physical parts and that's fine. If you wanna sit in a chair and design all day that's perfectly acceptable. I got a place for ya, and I will try to help ya advance just like anyone else. Stuff like this is how I learned though and I expect you to know how to get your hands dirty sometimes."

The heaving student whimpered. "We almost got shot."

"Ask some of the vets how close ya can get to being shot and still live." Bolt advised before smiling just a bit. "Actually, I think I'll have some of the older guys do story time. I think you'll get a better appreciation fer things that way."

He restrained a chuckle at the slightly despairing looks they gave one another.

 

[Simonbob]

That's a teaching school that'll have some interesting graduates.

They're going to learn things that no Uni would teach, that's for sure!

 

[Pyro Hawk]

mechs work for those who have that special something. Even if the quality is low. What are the mundane military units doing? I want to see spider tanks and meks that are non neural helmet compatible with like a pilot, a loader, a navigator, and a gunner. The authors briefly bought it up a few seperate times he was going to do something for the barely there guys. That were the guard dog mechs came from. He also once brought up the mundane units equipment. But never again

I think neural helmets is a battle tech thing and Gundams. But this universe has there own special juju that keeps the masses under the boot of the elite

Click to shrink...

The problem with this is that's the thing of the faction that Gadget leans to, like how Bolt is 'covered' by the MTA. And more importantly, if you can have Mechs for the non-infantry and non-Warship/Strikecraft roles in combat, you want to invest all in on Mechs because they are just superior.

 

[Emptiness]

Could be fun to see him advertising his teaching.

"Course One: Oil and Blood, both can work."
"Designer getting too uppity? Remind them of the real world!"
"Any and all complaint to be directed to Lily, who will laugh at you."

 

[lost star]

Dai and Wu were settling in relatively well. The mountain was an unusual place to live in, but it had been designed to handle long term occupation. This meant more than just quarters and places to sleep in. Entertainment facilities and places of leisure were also included. Things like arcades, karaoke booths, bars, and even parks.

The latter were probably the largest areas. There were four of them in the mountain, set equally apart from one another and so large and artfully done you couldn't tell you weren't outside. Great pains had been taken to make them scenic and lovely, and even greater effort had been made to keep them that way. The Rats in charge of the area were downright fanatic in keeping it nice.

As one of the few places with proper greenery on the planet, this desire wasn't surprising. The two designers had seen the outside area. Calling it a blasted wasteland was understating it. It was a textbook example of what constant mech wars did to a planet. That people survived on it was a testament to the technology even the lowest had available, and their stubborn grit.

Though you wouldn't know it by looking at them in their parks. The places were nice. Filled with green grass, trees, and set to a lovely looking sun. There were playgrounds, places to run around in, and more. It was idyllic, and the people there very much appreciated it. There was always traffic. Sometimes too much really. The people maintaining the place would apparently 'complain' that people were loving it too much every now and again.

"Feels a bit odd that this is the height of luxury on the planet." Dai commented as the two of them walked along the paths. "I could travel to one of these places in minutes back home, and there's billions on the planet."

"Not the height. I think that'd be the showers they have." Wu disputed with a small smile. "The industrial ones."

"You mean the ones they throw people in when they're filthy?" The man asked with a chuckle.

Those were more akin to being sprayed down with hoses, though actually surprisingly nice. The water was hot and the soap they used left you feeling sparkly afterwards. It was one of the strange things the Wrench Rats had. A customized water-jet shower that was explicitly made to deal with heavy grease and mud quickly was amusing. That it had propagated to other areas was entertaining. There were a lot of surprising little quirks like that.

Wu nodded back. "The students spent a bit too much time there after their last outing to my knowledge."

"Not surprising." Dai paused and the two of them watched a few kids playing on a jungle gym. "Saw some of them with after-combat jitters. I had to direct them to medical."

PTSD and the like was both a common problem and treatable if you had the proper tools. The locals had lacked specialists, but those were slowly being trained up. The newcomers were filling in until then, to everyone's gratitude.

"Not sure I like the lesson." Wu mused out loud.

Dai snorted. "Ah yes, take young ones to an active battlefield and traumatize them! That will certain make an impression!" He waved his hands in emphasis.

"It did. Enough that a few quit." The woman said before they started walking down the path again. "I wonder if that is a loss or benefit?"

"Both in my judgement. We could use the hands, but if they cannot handle a sanitized trip like that at least once, they don't have the nerve to continue. Much as I disagree with the impromptu lesson, something like that is probably needed. Even the most sheltered designer will face pressures of some sort. I certainly would have loved it before we had our unfortunate trial." Dai frowned at the artificial sky. "It does explain some of Bolt's certainty and confidence though. He routinely went out in conditions like that."

"He grew up in ruin and came out with a desire to fix it. Almost poetic." Wu mused before pausing. "Oh, look!"

A small concert of sorts was forming. It was a recent thing apparently, even amongst the Rats. In an effort to spread cohesion and for entertainments sake, more than a few people had picked up music. The 'official' goal was to find the songs that best fit certain mechs and sing or play them. It was frequently just a way to play around with musical instruments and the like, as well as drink.

Dai made a face at the gathering. "Really not up for one of them."

"They're fun to listen to at least." Wu tilted her head and winced as someone's voice cracked. "Terrible singing aside."

"That's another strange thing. The insistence the techs have for music while building. Did you ever see the readouts for the Heart System that they use for proof?" The man frowned at the gathering as they walked by. "They're impossible to make sense of."

"I did. Most of it requires heavy interpretation and we're all certain we're missing a lot. Even the damage readouts from it are strange. It registers damage immediately, but part and form change sometimes takes minutes to hours. Those are the clearest too. They're registering something, but it's senseless at the same time. The-" Wu paused and cut herself off.

"Censored stuff we can't talk about in public is strange." Dai filled in and grinned. "It's an interesting mystery! Makes me think we're never going to be journeymen though!"

"Not everyone becomes one." Wu pointed out and nudged her friend. "We just have to get some sort of inspiration."

"Yeah good luck with that. I'm not some fancy genius. I'm a designer who can barely handle what I want to specialize in! There are millions of them! Even breaking them down into categories doesn't help." Dai ranted slightly before sighing.

Wu nudged him again but harder. "Don't compare yourself to Bolt."

"Yeah he only missed the record for Journeyman advancement by what, like a year or two?" Dai shook his head and picked up the pace. "He's even been getting better with weapons, and that was like his only flaw."

"The Last Prayer was rather exceptional weapon wise." Wu agreed as she stepped into synch with him. "I don't think he did the weapons for Cu Sith though."

"Oh yeah, I did ask about that. Bolt corroborate with an MTA Senior on it, and he wasn't sure where to stop on the blueprint. He just stopped when he felt like there was a good point and sent it to her for her to help." The man shook his head with a sigh. "She's better than him on weapons anyway, so it worked out, but..." He sighed again.

Wu giggled and nodded. "Yes, it's frustrating sometimes."

"Tell me about it. Like the angel. That one's very solid, but the rifle is generic. It doesn't hurt the design mind you. A simple rifle like that is sometimes ideal. It still frustrates me!" Dai mimed grabbing at his hair.

"Think you could do better?" Wu asked with a deliberately challenging expression.

Rather than challenge him the question made Dai deflate and shake his head before ranting again. "No. Customizing weapons is really hit and miss. Form factor is easy. Bolt already did that some with the weapons. For like the angel I could switch out to a different laser weapon and make it pretty, but it'd still be a laser weapon. Maybe with less range, or more range, or more fire rate. No, I think what frustrates me is that he talks about about this theme and story and art with the special stuff, and he just slapped a standard rifle on it at the end!"

"You'd think the thing would shoot feathers instead." Wu offered with a smile at her companion.

"Hah, there are some specific bullet types like that, but they're really gimicky and kind of expensive. That mech's already a bit pricy." Dai winced slightly as he recalled them. "And some of them were just shaped flechettes made to look pretty. They actually made the weapons worse. It works, but it's like seeing a masterpiece and knowing that there's one part that could be better. Yet I don't know how!"

The woman nodded along with that and angled towards the exit of the park. "Well, let's have some fun and try to design something anyway. This park isn't doing it for me. Let's get to the designer area."

"Hah, well lead the way!" Dai responded with a grin. "It's always fun to make something wildly impractical!"

Several hours later they did indeed have a wildly impractical rifle design. It was too expensive, too complex, and the damage didn't do enough to justify the latter two factors. It used nanomachines and the feather system in the feather chainmail to throw explosive feathers. Frankly the entire design was such a boondoggle that they didn't even want to produce it. The two designers had a fair bit of fun working on it, so they considered it a win. That is until the next day, where Bolt found it and decided it some potential. Enough that they could spend a day working at it together.

It ended up becoming an enormous headache for everyone. Literally. There were arguments, shouting, and some sort of clashing that they couldn't really physically define. Bolt was visibly trying to restrain himself somehow, and the junior designers ended up needing to both get painkillers. The end result was something viable! Possibly viable. The lab tests weren't thorough enough to give proper feedback. It would require live testing. Which was a bit iffy in the situations they were in.

 

[Simonbob]

It ended up becoming an enormous headache for everyone. Literally. There were arguments, shouting, and some sort of clashing that they couldn't really physically define. Bolt was visibly trying to restrain himself somehow, and the junior designers ended up needing to both get painkillers. The end result was something viable! Possibly viable. The lab tests weren't thorough enough to give proper feedback. It would require live testing. Which was a bit iffy in the situations they were in.

Click to shrink...

Huh.

They breaking through to Journeyman? Already?


It's been good for them, the Mountain.

 

[lost star]

They're not journeyman. I'm actually heavily debating saying that they're never going to be Journeyman. They did find something to contribute though.

 

[Pyro Hawk]

They're not journeyman. I'm actually heavily debating saying that they're never going to be Journeyman. They did find something to contribute though.

Click to shrink...

The vibe I get from them is that they probably will make it to Journeyman status. They just won't get further unless they find something that gives them that spark and it's not anything likely to turn up anytime soon even in the general region, let alone near them. Basically they've found something they like developing enough to form that design spirit needed for Journeyman status but it's a weak enough one that it won't support improving beyond it, even with Bolt's 'aid' breaking don and rebuilding it.

In fact, such a thing would likely be worse for them getting beyond the lower levels of Journeyman status because the reformed Design Spirit would be more focused on supporting itself than building higher.

 

[Thomisannoyed]

They're not journeyman. I'm actually heavily debating saying that they're never going to be Journeyman. They did find something to contribute though.

Click to shrink...

That's a bit mean, if pup gets to be a weak expert then they should at least reach the level of weak journeymen, considering that they clearly do have nascent design philosophy, Which is one of the two things needed.

Obviously they won't be progressing until at least the war is over, because the second thing needed to reach journeyman is to make and sell mechs.
Something not happening any time soon, but the experience working for Bolt should get them enough experience if not energy to get to the next level in a few years

 

[Golgotha]

At the risk of sounding like a suck up - not everyone needs to turn out to be a hidden genius with special skills.
Having solid low level managers is an excellent thing to happen, they don't have to be more then that just because they are named.

If anything, Bolt might have been the one to prevent them from growing because of all of this.

 

[Pyro Hawk]

At the risk of sounding like a suck up - not everyone needs to turn out to be a hidden genius with special skills.
Having solid low level managers is an excellent thing to happen, they don't have to be more then that just because they are named.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I know. But at the same time, I don't think they're so lacking as to be unable to make that next step so long as they can be involved in making enough mechs because I feel like they're able to cross over the 'Need a Design Concept' threshold, especially with the experience they'll pick up during the war and when making the needed mechs.

However as I mentioned in my prior post, I can very easily see them being stuck at that 'I qualified for a Journeyman Mech Designer, but I'm not getting any further' level.

 

[Rustic]

So dai and wu are like the guys at Lowe's or home Depot, Menards or ace. They understand the basics and know how to assemble them. Maybe educated but still not imaginative enough to really design something.

 

[Thomisannoyed]

At the risk of sounding like a suck up - not everyone needs to turn out to be a hidden genius with special skills

Click to shrink...

Journeyman isn't some special thing. It's like above the minimum in the grand scheme of things.
Every Designer should be able to reach that level naturally if they are building and selling mechs, it's just a matter of talent and how long it will take that should be in question.

 

[lost star]

Life had been pretty shitty lately. Well, the year had been shitty. The last few days hadn't been bad. Not great mind you, but not bad. Kriff had done his best for his people, but a pilot's lot in life was to fight in mechs. Johnny hadn't expected pure peace when he'd followed the man. He'd just wanted to live. And he was living now. He was even defending something worthwhile defending, which was a balm he didn't know he'd needed.

Really, this was as good as he could have wished for when he'd followed the general. Getting shipped to a funny mountain and given a funny mech to fuck up some space-trash was actually almost a vacation. Sure there was a risk of death. It was just a low risk at the moment. These current fuckers weren't exactly swimming in competence.

Case in point. Johnny was in a Wounded Angel. He was just above the mist-line on the mountain. His wing was down to give him some cover, and he was carefully lining up a shot on an absolute moron blundering around in the mist beneath him. The dipstick thought that because he couldn't see them, his opponents couldn't see him.

With Pup on the field Johnny could see everything. The only reason they weren't absolutely massacring everyone was to keep things close to the chest and sort of spread out the experience. Some of the newbies could use some careful introduction to combat, and live tests against drugged out fodder like this was the safest way they could manage. It was also the safest way to get some field data on a new weapon they might switch the angels to. Johnny had volunteered to give it a whirl and was eager to see if it was worth anything.

"All right, let's see if the fancy shooter is worth more than shit." Johnny whispered to himself as he finished aiming and had the mech gently squeeze the trigger.

The shot was oddly soft. More a loud puff or thump than a heavy bang. Through the mist Johnny could see something light up as it stuck to the target. Then there was a bang. The victim toppled. One good kill there.

Johnny frowned. It didn't feel like a good test despite the success. A frontline like that would have done down to one or two shots from the other rifle. A good rifle required a mix of fire rate, accuracy, range, and damage that fit what the mech needed to do. Based on the range the accuracy wasn't bad. It wasn't a sniper, but the angel wasn't meant to be a sniper. The rest?

"How's the status of things?" Johnny called out.

"Cleaning up mostly. Got a small group rallying on B-23." Another call out came.

"All right if I test the new shooter there then?"

"Possible if you don't play. There's a few Zombies there to cover you if needed. Be advised, one of em's actually more than chaff."

Johnny gave a click of acknowledgement and bounced down the cliff into the mist. He had to say that he liked the Wounded Angels. The other mechs were a bit hit and miss for him, but the angels felt like home. Calm, steady, and comfortable in an indefinable way. When he wasn't in direct combat it was soothing enough that his fried nerves almost felt like they were healing. This was why he wasn't afraid of continuing at the moment.

A few minutes later his sensors picked up a small group of mechs in the distance. The man judged the range and readied himself. He gave a brief burst on the com to signal he was ready and shouldered his rifle.

The rifle fired again. Again there was a puff. Not quiet. No mech-sized weapons could be silent. It was less of a bang than projectiles and not a sizzle like the lasers. It was a puff that jerked the rifle slightly. This time he fired as quickly as possible, testing accuracy while firing quickly. The rifle held about a hundred shots before it needed a reload, and he squeezed off about ten before the enemy actually managed to react.

Several mechs had lit up as the 'bullets' hit them. Johnny had managed a fifty percent accuracy. Which was decent enough accuracy against slowly moving targets considering the circumstances. One hundred percent accuracy was in the realms of experts and expensive marksmen. The effect of his attack was more interesting. The way they lit up when struck was a rather amusing tell, and some of the mechs outright panicked when they realized they'd been hit. On his side the visceral confirmation was surprisingly satisfying.

Johnny didn't know the exact details of how the weapon fired. He was just testing and would give feedback later. The weapon itself felt fitting for the mech at least. The rifle was modeled off a 'wing.' Almost like the angel had torn off its wing and used it as a weapon. It shot little feather projectiles that stuck to the target, those feathers then exploded a half second or so after impact.

Damage wise, it was about the same as the laser rifle if one feather hit, at least based off Johnny's estimates. Multiple hits seemed to scale. Sensors indicated that the one he'd struck multiple times had gotten a nice big chunk taken out of it, which indicated a sort of scaling explosive damage. That was something he wanted to explore a bit more. Fortunately there was one nice little target already waiting for him.

The mech in the center of the enemy formation was a proper one. It had pinned his general direction and was currently charging right now. Johnny felt like that one was going to be the best test. He lowered his wing and began to move and fire as he skirmished with the enemy, deliberately holding his performance down enough to get a proper feel of what this new rifle could do.

Some shots pinged off his defenses. Nothing worthwhile. With the mist cover and his movements, the enemy couldn't really get accuracy at this range. They knew it too, trying to close in while zigging and zagging now that they were certain of his position.

Johnny fired off as rapidly as possible while falling back. The feathers were actually very bright when they hit now that he was watching it. Deliberate choice or something the designers didn't account for? Hard to tell, but entertaining. Doubly so because he could tell how many were stuck in. The detonation time was also more variable than he thought. It felt almost intelligent because he could practically feel it waiting for the optimum time to detonate. He pegged it six times before he decided that was enough, and then it blew.

The explosion both blew the mechs arm off and half of its torso apart. Johnny watched as it toppled and felt his eyebrows raise up before he carefully approached to examine the damage. It was more than a little strange if he were to be honest. The armor almost looked cracked. He could see round parts where the feathers had hit, but also lines connecting them. A sort of shattering effect? How'd they manage that?

The man shrugged and tagged the mech with no more thought. Let the smart people evaluate if the weapon was worth it from a damage standpoint. His review wouldn't be glowing, but it would say that he couldn't find issues so far. It wasn't worse at least. Sticking them multiple times and blowing them up was actually rather entertaining at a minimum. It also felt surprisingly easy to use too, which was a fairly nice benifit.

Wing-Ripper- A custom weapon produced by two initiates who have been instructed on X-factor construction. This unique basis has formed a weapon specifically compatible with the mech known as the Wounded Angel. Due to this, and the X-factor, the weapon has some unusual features that make it useful and unique as a primary weapon. Those features are, glowing bullets, resonant and scaling explosions, and intuitive detonation. This makes the weapon an upgrade over the mech's previous armaments, which is high praise considering the skill level of the primary makers.